Random find but it's worthy to point out to everyone who uses computers, tablets and smartphones: a scientist helped make it possible for smaller memory storage devices that power our Internet and downloading needs. Peter Grunberg passed away at age 78.

Kate McInturff, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, died on July 27 at the age of 49. I came across a retrospective of her career by Macleans through a tweet I saw posted on Twitter. Ms. McInturff had a knack with big data and used that talent to convey reasons why women in Canada needed more investment.

In September 2017, during her presentation before the Standing Committee on Finance’s pre-budget consultations, policy analyst Kate McInturff went public for the first time with the fact she’d been undergoing cancer treatment for three years (video here). The prognosis was not good, the senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, an independent Ottawa-based think tank, revealed. “I don’t know how many more budgets I have to look forward to,” she said, before lightening the mood with humour. “I know this isn’t the Make a Wish committee,” she said. “But if I can convince you to take one action to make one change that has the power to change lives and indeed to save lives while I still have the energy to harass you, it is this: invest in women’s organizations.

.I suppose there are a lot of Net Citizens out there that are not too familiar with the days of past when such activism as this lady engaged in was considered very brave. It would be nice if you never had to face such like she did. Or others like her. But that is a bit of a dream, as governments seem to sometimes get heavy-handed.

And there are other causes that require bravery to stand up to.

Here is an example of such bravery, even if it was a fair bit back in time.

Penny Marshall, US actress and later director, has passed away at the age of 75.

Marshall was the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million, the first woman to direct two films that grossed more than $100 million, and she was only the second woman director to see her film Oscar-nominated for best picture.